D&G farmer speaks out after workplace accident

A Dumfries and Galloway farmer has spoken out about his own workplace accident, as part of Farm Safety Week.

The NFU Scotland initiative aims to reduce the number of accidents on farms across the country.

Every day this week, the Union is focusing on different aspects of farm safety, for example handling livestock and working with heavy machinery.

James Armstrong, from Gatehouse of Fleet, knows first hand the dangers of working on a farm.

When he was 16-years-old, getting towards the end of a long working day and in a rush to get his dinner, James became distracted.

He slipped and fell on his tractor and ended up with a five inch tear at the top of his leg.

James was rushed to hospital where he spent four days, and then several weeks recovering.

The accident happened almost ten years ago, but is a constant reminder for James to take extra care on the farm.

One of the most challenging aspects of farming in the south of Scotland is that often farmers work on their own.

Due to the rural regions, many areas of farmland have little or no phone signal.